


If you gave me a chance, I would take it

by hawkeyedpeas (pandacowhipster)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 10:38:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5413682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandacowhipster/pseuds/hawkeyedpeas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry's got a thing for the new kid at Central High.</p><p>For the High School AU prompt of Barrisco Month</p>
            </blockquote>





	If you gave me a chance, I would take it

Despite being the fastest member of the track team, Barry never really grew out of his clumsy phase. Sure, he could move gracefully out on the track, where things were flat and straight and obstacle free, but everywhere else? Not so much.

Case in point: he’s currently managing a controlled fall in the hallway on his way to English. He turned a corner too quick and almost ran right into someone, but luckily he managed to dodge enough that he’s the only one who ends up on on the ground.

“Dude, are you okay?”

“Yeah, only bruised my pride,” Barry winces, “okay, and maybe my arm.” He sits up properly and actually sees who he nearly crashed into and his brain stutters to a halt. He hasn’t seen him around school before–he knows he hasn’t because he’s positive he’d have remembered someone this attractive. The guy has long, black, super soft looking hair and big brown eyes and he’s wearing a shirt with a cartoon astronaut on it.

“You sure you’re good?” the boy asks, kneeling down to pick up the papers and notebooks Barry dropped.

Barry scrambles to grab the rest of his things so the other boy doesn’t have to, “I, um yeah, I mean, I fall all the time, so…”

Cute boy raises an eyebrow. “if you say so.” He hands Barry his papers.

“Thanks,” Barry says, he’s torn between extending the conversation and running away to save himself further embarrassment. “Also, sorry for nearly tackling you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” cute boy says, “my heart was beating a little slow anyways, it needed the jump-start.”

Barry could say the same, it feels like his own heart might up and hop right out of his chest any minute now.

“Well, see you around,” cute boy says, standing, “and watch your step.”

“Will do,” Barry says, watching him go.

–

“I need your help,” Barry says as soon as he sits down across from Iris and Linda at their usual lunch table.

“What’s up?” Iris asks.

Barry bites his lip, “I need you to help me find someone.”

Linda perks up at that, “yeah?”

“I ran into him earlier, I’ve never seen him before, I don’t he was… it was kinda like getting punched in the chest.”

“He punched you?” Iris asks.

“No, no, he was just really…” Barry gestures vaguely, “nice? I don’t know, but you guys know everyone so,” Barry shrugs.

Iris and Linda exchange satisfied looks with each other, the two of them run both the school paper and the yearbook practically by themselves. They also know almost everything that goes down at Central High.

“What’s he look like? Did you get a name?” Iris asks, going into reporter mode.

“No name, uh short? Shorter than me.”

“Everyone’s shorter than you, Bear,” Linda interjects but signals him to continue.

“Black hair,” He points from Iris to Linda, “like the length in between you guys’ hair. Uh, kinda darker skinned?”

Iris nods, taking it all in, “anything else?”

“His eyes are brown?”

Linda grins, “so he’s cute, then.”

Barry feels his face heat up. “wh–why do you say that?”

She rolls her eyes, “please, the only time anyone pays enough attention to someone’s eyes to know what color they are, is because they’re gazing into them dreamily.”

Barry huffs, “I was not.”

Linda sighs, “he doesn’t sound familiar though, does he to you Iris?”

“Nobody I can think of… wait! There’s a new guy in my APUSH class, he just transferred a few days ago.” Iris frowns, “what the heck is his name? It was something weird, he goes by like a nickname.” She shakes her head, “I’ll figure it out, I have class with him later.”

“I love this,” Linda says, “so much more interesting than figuring out if the veggie burgers are really veggie.”

“What? No,” Barry says, “don’t go all detective on him, please.”

“Too late,” Iris says.

“We are officially on the case,” Linda agrees.

–

“So here’s what I got,” Iris says, cornering Barry suddenly as he leaves the locker room after track practice.

Barry jumps back and hits the wall, “I told you to cut that out!”

Iris ignores his comment as she leads him out of school.“His name’s Cisco, short for Francisco. He’s in our grade, just moved here from Star City and he’s already joined the robotics club.”

Barry’s eyes widen, “jeez, how’d you find all that out?”

Iris looks at him like he’s stupid, “I asked? He’s super friendly, and very cute, you’ve got good taste. I approve.”

“There’s nothing to approve of,” Barry says, “I was just curious.”

“Yeah,” Iris says as they approach their house, “and me and Linda were  _just curious_  last year at Ollie’s birthday party.”

Barry unlocks the door, “yeah, well, then you can approve all you want as soon as I make out with him in a pantry.”

“Who’s making out where now?” Joe asks. He’s sitting at the kitchen table looking over a case file.

“Nobody!” Barry says.

“And certainly not before marriage,” Iris adds, quickly dragging Barry upstairs.

“You’re not slick, “Joe calls after them, amusement in his voice.

–

It figures that once Barry feels prepared to actually start up a conversation with Cisco, he can’t seem to find an opportunity. He sees Cisco around, sure, but it’s always down the hall or on the other side of the cafeteria and he can never seem to catch up to him, speed be damned.

After a week of what feels like the suckiest game of tag ever, Barry figures it’s probably for the best, he’s never been great at flirting anyway and he’d probably just embarrass himself.

Which is of course why when track runs late on Friday and he’s gross and sweaty and still in his work out clothes he runs into Cisco outside school. Literally this time.

“Oh man,” Barry says once he steadies himself, “I’m like a walking hazard.”

“No worries,” Cisco says grinning, “I’m still upright. I‘m Cisco, by the way. You’re Barry right?”

“Uh, yeah, how’d you know?” Probably not because he got his sister to personally investigate him, that’s for sure.

“I have history with Iris, she mentioned you.”

“Oh, God.”

Cisco laughs, “chill, it wasn’t anything bad, she just said she had a brother who runs track and happened to fit the description of the guy that nearly ran me over, so.”

“I’d say I’m usually more coordinated, but as you just saw I’d be lying.”

Cisco crosses his arms and gives Barry a once over, “and yet you’re a star athlete.”

“Star? I wouldn’t say–I’m not…” Barry does his best to untie his tongue, “what do you do? Like sports or clubs or whatever?”

“Robotics,” Cisco says, perking up a little, “it’s really cool, there wasn’t a club at my old school, so it was just a hobby, but here, they even compete in tournaments and stuff.”

“Tournaments?”

“You build a kick ass robot, and then you put it in the ring with another bot and they fight to the death… well, to the blue screen of death.”

“That’s so cool,” Barry says, and means it, “have you done it before?”

“Once, but never with a whole team. Everyone’s really cool too, and totally brilliant. I can’t wait for our first tournament.”

“Yeah, it sounds awesome. I’ll have to check that out so I can see you guys win.” Barry says, mentally patting himself on the back for managing to say something vaguely flirtatious.

“Hell yeah,” Cisco says holding his hand out.

When Barry gives him five, Cisco briefly squeezes his hand and it’s kinda the best thing that’s happened to Barry in months.

Barry’s startled from staring dumbly at Cisco when someone beeps a horn.

“That’s my brother,” Cisco says, frowning, “see ya.”

Barry waves and watches Cisco get in the car and pull off, he stands there for another minute before realizing he’s supposed to be walking home.

–

Even though he only mentioned it to Iris and Linda, somehow his entire group of friends knows how much of a thing he has for Cisco.

“Just ask him out,” Oliver says boredly one day at lunch when the subject comes up. Which, easy for him to say, Oliver could wink at any girl in school and she’d fall all over herself trying to talk to him, Barry didn’t have that kind of finesse. Frankly he’s lucky he hasn’t caused Cisco any injury yet.

“We talked like twice,” Barry says, “how am I supposed to know if he even likes guys? Specifically, this guy,” he points to himself.

“Just keep it casual,” Eddie suggests. “You get all weird when you stress yourself out.”

“Not a good look.” Jax adds.

“Ooh,” Linda says, snapping her fingers, “invite him to Oliver’s party next weekend. It’ll be low key and you can get him alone or hang out in a group.”

Barry looks to Oliver who just shrugs, it’s not like one more person will make a difference in the unbridled chaos that is a Queen house party.

“Cool, cool,” Barry says, “now I just have to ask him.”

–

He lurks outside the physics lab where he knows the robotics club is having a lunch meeting–thank you all-knowing-Iris–working up the nerve to go in when someone taps him on the shoulder.

“Do you need something?” She’s petite with a blonde ponytail and glasses, Barry’s seen her around before, he thinks her name’s something like Felicia.

“Uh, I was looking for Cisco?” Barry says, not sure why it sounds like a question.

“Oh, sure,” she takes him by the arm and pulls him into the room, “Cisco, your friend’s here.”

“I have another friend?” Cisco asks, looking up from a mess of wires in front of him.

“Hi,” Barry says with an awkward wave.

“Barry! What brings you to our nerdy corner of the world?” He gestures around the room and Barry looks over his companions, besides the blonde girl there’s a redhead girl and two dark haired guys, all of them huddled around the table.

“I just wanted to ask you something,” Barry says.

“Sure, what’s up?” Cisco says and Barry realizes he’s going to have to ask him out in front of all his friends.

“Well, there’s uh… My friend, Oliver, he’s um, throwing a party and it should pretty fun, so I was gonna go and I just wanted to let you know in case you also wanted to go.” Barry runs a hand through his hair, thankful he got it all out.

“Oliver Queen?” The redhead asks, “that’s not a party, that’s a… bacchanal.”

“Well, in that case, I’m in,” Cisco says.

Barry remembers Joe instilled him with some modicum of manners, “you should all come, I mean, if you fee like praising Dionysus for a night.”

The redhead looks mildly pleased that he actually knows what ‘bacchanal’ means, “could be fun,” she looks to the guy next her, “what do you think?”

“Sounds great,” he says before planting a kiss on her cheek.

“Okay, Cait and Ronnie are down, what about you Ray? Felicity?” Cisco asks.

They both shrug. “I could be up for some bad decisions,” Felicity says.

“Gimme, your phone,” Cisco says, holding a hand out to Barry, “I’ll put my number in and you can text me all the details.

Barry gets his phone out with only minor fumbling and hands it over.

“Awesome,” Cisco says typing away, “okay, I sent myself a text so I have your number too. Cute background by the way, is that you and Iris?”

“Uh, yeah,” Barry says, recalling the  photo, “we were like twelve, Joe–uh, our dad, took us to the fair, that picture was taken between our tenth ride on the scrambler and us puking from riding the scrambler ten times.”

“Charming,” Cait mutters, but Cisco’s grinning at him.

“One time, my brother Armando dared me and my other brother Dante to have a hotdog eating contest. I both won and ruined ma’s favorite rug.”

Barry laughs, “well hopefully we both have a better time next weekend.”

Cisco nods, “looking forward to it.”

–

“You redecorating?”

Barry turns around to see Joe leaning in his bedroom doorway, eyeing the pile of clothes on his floor.

Barry’s shoulders sag, “I’m kind of having a situation?”

“ _No_ ,” Joe says sarcastically, pushing himself off the door and crossing over to sit on Barry’s bed, “come on,” he says, patting the spot next to him.

Barry sits next to him and sighs, “there’s this guy,” he starts, gauging Joe’s reaction. When Joe just nods, he goes on, “he’s pretty cool and I invited him to Oliver’s party and I have no idea what to wear.”

“Well, I’m not gonna pretend I know what the kids are wearing these days, i’ll leave that to Iris, but i feel like you’re not really stressed about your t-shirt options.”

“I’ve kind of embarrassed myself every time I’ve spoken to him.”

“Every time?”

“We met because I nearly mowed him down in the hallway,”

“Yikes,” Joe says, “well he still wants to go to this party with you right?”

Barry realizes Joe’s right, “he did use the happy cat emoji when I texted him about it.”

“Just gonna assume that’s a big deal,” Joe says. “You never give yourself enough credit, Bear. You’re a great kid, and I’m not just saying that cause I raised you,” he pulls Barry into hug.

Barry smiles, “thanks, Joe.”

“Just don’t let me hear about you in any pantries,” he says.

“Oh my God,” Barry says, hiding his face in his hands.

“Now, let’s get Iris in here so she can help you pick an outfit, though if I could make a suggestion, I’d say red is definitely your color.”

–

Joe drops them off at Oliver’s house and reminds them that if the cops get called he’s going to show up too.

Barry shakes himself at the door to ease his nerves.

“Come on,” Iris says, “you look great.”

She’s put him in an open red button up with his ‘chemists do it on the table, periodically’ shirt because according to Iris, letting Cisco know he’s a nerd too is a point in his favor.

She’s opted for shorts, a tank top with more strappy bits than Barry thinks are necessary and a blazer. She always looks like she just stepped off a runway no matter she has on, Barry looks like a Sears catalog on a good day.

Oliver’s door is unlocked and when they open it the muffled noise that had been coming from inside turns deafening. The house is already packed with what seems like every kid at Central High.

Iris vanishes from his side in a matter of minutes and he’s left to wander around alone.

He spots Cisco’s friend Cait in a corner making out with her boyfriend and smiles, glad she seems to be having fun despite her initial reservations.

Barry heads into the kitchen, which seems to be a bit calmer than the living room. Though the sight he’s met with when he walks in does nearly give him a heart attack.

Cisco’s there with Felicity and oddly enough Jax, in front of a tray of jello shots. He’s got his head tipped back and he’s swirling his tongue around in one of the plastic shot glasses to get the jello out and Barry might legitimately be dying.

Cisco finishes his shot and finally notices Barry. He wipes his mouth and grins, “hey.”

“Hey,” Barry says, hating how his voice breaks.

Cisco looks around, “you guys weren’t kidding when you said bacchanal.”

“Yeah, Oliver definitely loves to go all out.”

“Understatement of the century,” Felicity says. “This place is huge and it’s still packed.”

“Yeah,” Jax agrees and turns to Cisco, “you should see his yard.” He cranes his neck to look out one of the kitchen windows, “huh, there’s barely anyone out there, weird.”

When Cisco looks out the window Jax shoots Barry a pointed look.

Felicity seems to catch on and beams, “I have to pee! Jax, you’re friends with Oliver, can you help me find a bathroom?”

“Totally,” he says, guiding her out of the kitchen, “we’ll meet you guys out there in a sec.”

Subtle.

Cisco shrugs and heads toward the back door, “shall we?”

“Let’s go,” Barry says, grabbing a shot and knocking it back while Cisco’s not looking, he’s going to need all the confidence he can get.

Despite the act he was putting on, Jax wasn’t kidding about the backyard. Seriously, there’s a fountain, a green house and an inground pool that was thankfully covered this time of year, lest it be full of drunk teenagers. Barry leads Cisco towards the pool and away from the small clusters of other people seeking refuge from the noise inside. 

The two of them sit sideways in a pair of deck chairs, facing each other.

“I like the shirt,” Cisco says nodding at Barry’s chest.

“Thanks,” Barry says, “Joe never lets me bring it to science camp.”

Cisco puts a hand over his heart, “you went to science camp?”

“Well, I’m a counselor now, but, yeah.”

“Okay, I gotta ask, “ Cisco says, “like just to confirm. This,” he gestures between the two of them, “this is a thing right? Like you’re into me? Because if not, you’re gonna have to be like 80% less dreamy.”

“I asked you out!” Barry says.

Cisco raises an eyebrow, “you asked out the entire club, dude.”

“I panicked!”

“Because we’re such an intimidating bunch,” Cisco says.

“Hey, it was hard enough just asking you in the first place.”

Cisco cocks his head, “really? Why?“

Barry rubs the back of his neck, “please don’t make me admit how bad my crush on you is.”

Cisco shrugs, "I dunno, can’t be worse than my crush on you.”

Barry bites his lip, “yeah?”

“Oh my God, dude,” Cisco says, “literally all of my friends are sick of hearing about you. That’s probably why they all wanted to come, just to make sure I talked to you.”

“I’m pretty sure Iris briefed everyone on her strategies for getting us alone together.”

“Well it worked,” Cisco says, getting up so he can sit next to Barry, “we probably shouldn’t squander their hard work.”

Barry’s jaw drops a little, “are you putting the moves on me right now?”

“That depends,” Cisco says, tossing his hair, “is it working?”

“Honestly? You could look in my general direction and I’d be down.”

“Seriously,” Cisco says, resting his hand on Barry’s neck and guiding him closer, “too dreamy.”

Contrary to popular (read, Oliver’s) belief, Barry has actually kissed people before. It was mostly awkward and uncomfortable the few times he’s done it. Not this time though, Barry kind of feels like he might pass out, but other than that it’s amazing. Cisco’s lips are soft and his hand is warm on Barry’s neck.

Barry works up his nerve and sets one hand on Cisco’s hip and runs the other through his hair which is even softer than it looks.

Admittedly, Barry doesn’t have quite as much experience with someone’s tongue being in his mouth, but again, Cisco’s doing a good job convincing him on doing it a lot more. Barry doesn’t know if Cisco’s an amazing kisser or if he just never made out with someone he liked this much.

Either way this might genuinely be the greatest day of his life so far.

They break apart to catch their breath and Cisco laughs.

“Was it that bad?” Barry asks.

“As if,” Cisco says giving him a quick kiss, “you’re totally rocking my world right now, it’s just um, we kind of have an audience–don’t look, they don’t know we know yet,” he says, cupping Barry’s jaw so he doesn’t turn around.

“Define audience.”

“Well,” Cisco says, looking over Barry’s shoulder without turning away from him, “it looks like the entire robotics club, your sister, Jax and another girl I don’t know.”

“Linda,” Barry says, certain it’s her.

“You’d think with that many of them, one of them would realize that if they can see us through the curtains we can see them too.”

"They probably think we’re a bit too… preoccupied to notice,” Barry says.

“I did like the preoccupation,” Cisco says, kissing Barry again.

“One sec,” Barry turns around and gives their friends an exaggerated wave.

They immediately fall all over each other in their hurry to scatter.

“There we go,” Barry says, curling his fingers in Cisco’s hair, “now we’re good.”

Cisco slips a hand under the hem of Barry’s shirt, “yeah we are.”

**Author's Note:**

> catch me on [tumblr](http://queeraang.tumblr.com/)


End file.
